Shloka 18

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें संकुलयुद्धाविषयक अठारहवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

adya kṣattur vacaḥ satyaṃ smaratāṃ bruvato hitam |

"ādya te samjānīyur yathā kuntīputro 'rjunaḥ samasta-dhanurdharāṇāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sāmarthyavān ca" |

adya pāpācārī durbuddhir dhṛtarāṣṭro nindāṃ pūrṇam ātmanaḥ kuryāt, vidureṇa ca ye satya-hita-vacāṃsi uktāni tāni smaret ||

adya-prabhṛti pārthaṃ ca preṣyabhūta ivācaran ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ມື້ນີ້ ໃຫ້ເຂົາທັງຫຼາຍລະລຶກຄໍາທີ່ສັດຈິງ ແລະເປັນປະໂຫຍດ ທີ່ວິດູຣະ (ມະຫາອໍາມາດ) ເຄີຍກ່າວ. ມື້ນີ້ ໃຫ້ເຂົາເຂົ້າໃຈໃນທີ່ສຸດວ່າ ອາຣຊຸນ ບຸດແຫ່ງກຸນຕີ ແມ່ນຜູ້ເລີດລ້ໍາ ແລະແຂງກ້າທີ່ສຸດໃນບັນດານັກທະນູທັງປວງ. ມື້ນີ້ ໃຫ້ທຣິຕຣາສຕຣະ ຜູ້ກໍ່ບາບ ແລະຫຼົງປັນຍາ ຕໍານິຕົນເອງໃຫ້ເຕັມທີ່ ແລະລະລຶກຄໍາຕັກເຕືອນອັນສັດຈິງ ແລະນໍາພາສຸກສະຫວັດ ທີ່ວິດູຣະເຄີຍກ່າວ. ແລະນັບແຕ່ມື້ນີ້ເປັນຕົ້ນໄປ ໃຫ້ເຂົາປະພຶດຕໍ່ພາຣຖະ (ອາຣຊຸນ) ດັ່ງກັບວ່າເປັນນາຍຂອງເຂົາ»។

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• क्षत्तुः: of the charioteer (Vidura, the kṣattṛ)
• क्षत्तुः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्मरताम्: let them remember
• स्मरताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: Imperative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ब्रुवतः: of (him) speaking
• ब्रुवतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• हितम्: beneficial; wholesome
• हितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य-प्रभृति

• पार्थ: O Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रेष्यभूतः: having become like a servant; subservient
• प्रेष्यभूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेष्य-भूत
• Form: Past passive participle (भूत from √भू) used adjectivally, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if; like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आचरन्: acting; behaving
• आचरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Vidura (Kṣattṛ)
• Arjuna (Kunti-putra, Partha)
• Dhritarashtra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthful counsel given for the welfare of all (satya-hita) should be remembered and heeded; ignoring wise advice leads to regret, and ethical failure in leadership culminates in self-reproach.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, reporting to Dhritarashtra, declares that the day’s events should make everyone recognize Arjuna’s unmatched prowess and should force Dhritarashtra to recall Vidura’s earlier warnings and feel the weight of his own culpability.